Zelie: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,702

among girls · ↑120 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

121

named Zelie · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 13,283

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2021

142 babies

All-time total

1,264

#6,406 all-time among girls

First recorded

2002

in Social Security records

Zelie popularity over time

1,264 babies have been named Zelie since 2002, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	–	–	–	–
2000s	57	6	–	#9,374
2010s	511	51	+796%	#1,843
2020s (to 2025)	696	116	+127%	#1,497

Where Zelie is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	126	0.08	outside top 500
2027	130	0.08	outside top 500
2028	133	0.08	outside top 500
2029	136	0.08	outside top 500
2030	139	0.09	outside top 500

Where Zelie is most popular

Girls named Zelie per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.073 per 1,000. Strongest in North Dakota, Kansas, and Minnesota.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Zelie born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
North Dakota	5	0.380	+418%
Kansas	17	0.295	+301%
Minnesota	21	0.195	+165%
Colorado	19	0.170	+132%
Michigan	29	0.159	+117%
Wisconsin	16	0.155	+111%
Nebraska	5	0.139	+89%
Ohio	33	0.139	+89%
Indiana	19	0.135	+84%
Virginia	20	0.117	+60%
Missouri	11	0.091	+24%
Pennsylvania	17	0.072	≈ national
Texas	56	0.070	-5%
Louisiana	6	0.069	-7%
North Carolina	10	0.044	-40%
California	35	0.042	-43%
New Jersey	5	0.028	-62%
New York	7	0.018	-76%
Florida	7	0.016	-78%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Zelie

Zelie is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,702 in 2025 with 121 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 2002, 1,264 American babies have been named Zelie. Its peak came in 2021, when 142 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Zelie stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Zelie?

The median living Zelie is about 5 years old; half are between 2 and 8. An estimated 1,300 people named Zelie are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Zelie year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	121	#1,702
2024	111	#1,822
2023	116	#1,773
2022	106	#1,906
2021	142	#1,497
2020	100	#1,923
2019	111	#1,843
2018	79	#2,333
2017	84	#2,256
2016	87	#2,220
2015	50	#3,297
2014	25	#5,454
2013	19	#6,722
2012	16	#7,798
2011	18	#7,116
2010	22	#6,179
2009	13	#9,374
2008	10	#11,594
2007	5	#20,541
2006	6	#17,138
2005	6	#16,444
2004	6	#16,079
2003	6	#15,766
2002	5	#18,068
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Zelie, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Zelie?

The median living Zelie is about 5 years old. Half of all living Zelies are between 2 and 8 years old.

How many people named Zelie are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Zelie are alive in the United States, based on 1,264 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Zelie in 2025?

Zelie ranked #1,702 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 121 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Zelie?

1,264 babies have been named Zelie in the United States since 2002, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Zelie most popular?

Zelie peaked in 2021, when 142 newborns received the name.

Is Zelie a boy or girl name?

Zelie is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Zelie rising or falling?

Zelie is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Zelie become more popular?

Zelie is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 139 girls named Zelie in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Zelie

Names that sound and feel close to Zelie: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Zelie with similar names → More names starting with Z →